Xmen: The Beginning of the End
by P3eminemk1
Summary: After the aftermath at Alcatraz, everyone is dealing with the grueling loss of their beloved friends, family and mentor in their own way. Cure is not permenant. And some one is bringing back the dead. Full summary inside.


X-Men: The Beginning of the End

By: Heatdevilangel

Summary: After the aftermath at Alcatraz, everyone is dealing with the grueling loss of their beloved friends, family and mentor in their own way. News breaks out that the cure is no longer permanent causing great friction in the mutant community but what does that mean for the X-Men's old age enemy Magneto? To add more to the already steaming pot, there is a mutant out there who could bring back the dead, and he brought back the wrong person.

Her auburn hair fell on her shoulders as a delicate waterfall. Her eye's fluttered open to the bright lights. She tried to rise from her source of support, but something prevented her from doing so. She looked down and saw a series of straps, cuffs, all restricting her of her free will. She stopped fighting and laid her head back down. As her mind began to drift, she felt a strong pull inside her head.

"_Is this what you want? Tied down like an animal?"_

Here eyes widen in horror. Her other persona was lurking in her mind. She tried shaking her head, but it was no use. The Phoenix never left her body as she remembered the retractable claws of a fellow lover plunge in to her stomach. Then she remembered her kissing her fiancé. She had killed him. Her eyes watered and she began to sob uncontrollably, as if she could have done something.

"Oh Scott," she said in hoped of justifying her actions, but she knew. She knew those actions were as a result of her duel personality, or in other words a part of her. She killed the man she loved. As if that was already hard enough to swallow, she killed her father figure. Charles Xavier, the only one who had helped her. She gasped and then groaned in sorrow.

"Charles,"

Her tears intensified and she realized she couldn't handle being alive. She needed to die; it was her only escape from the pain. Why was she back all of a sudden? And if it was right on cue, her questions soon became answered.

"Miss Jean Grey, how are you feeling?"

She couldn't recognize the voice. It was new and unfamiliar and somewhat sinister.

"Jean darling, answer me," he pleaded.

"I'm fine," she snapped. She didn't like the fact she could not see her captor. She suddenly felt her other persona beginning to break through.

"No!" Jean cried out, but it was too late. It became apparent that her other identity, the Phoenix was free from her mental grasp. Jean's face lost all color and the sick pale yellow color was now spreading its demise over her body. Her veins were now visible and her once beautiful green eyes became as black as night. The straps containing her physical from became to undo and un-cuff themselves. Her body snapped up shocking the man who at one point thought he had the upper hand.

"Who are you?" she hissed.

The man was trembling in fear. His lips curved and shivered at the mere thought of what this woman can do. He couldn't control her body anymore. The Phoenix had lost all patience and the man slowly felt as if each molecule on his body began to tear. He screamed, but the beast inhabiting Dr. Jean Grey's body did not notice let alone care. She tilted her head more to push more fear in to the man. The man could now see more of her veins due to the strain she had but on her neck. The skin on his arm begin to peel of and vaporize it self. He continued to scream in horror. Soon enough his body was obliterated by the force driven by the Phoenix. Jean Grey's body suddenly returned to its normal appearance. She had finally gained control of her mind again, but it was no use now. She knew she killed that man and she wobbled and fell to the floor. She closed her eyes and the tears escaped that tight skin that shielded her eyes.

"Oh no," she sighed. She was scared of her capabilities.

"Help," she whispered but no one but herself.

She clutched on to her knees and shook back and forth. Her hair swooshed back and forth as the pace increased. She finally broke away from the small trance and screamed. It was a scream that was filled with anger and frustration. As her loud shrieking voice pierced the air almost every object made of glass shattered and fell on to the floor. Her lips closed. She knew she wasn't safe where she was, and she slowly got up. Her legs were scrambling for support but Jean convinced herself she didn't need any support. She just needed to get out. She then looked around and scrambled towards the nearby table that had some clothes laid folded. She knew they were meant for her. It was an awful shade of green, and stitched to fit similar to a prison suit. She had no other choice put to put the clothes on. She did so and left the room, moving anything in her way.

xxx

Her gray hair was shielded due to the trees in the garden. She often came out to think about the events that took place on that island. She sighed. She knew the sacrifices she had to make to maintain this safe house named after the dearly departed mentor. She often caught herself staring at the tombstone that memorialized her leader. Even though he was dead, she had still had thought of him as a leader as if he was still leading her now. It was an unexplainable thought of course, but she had always felt as though Charles Xavier never really left her mind. She inhaled deeply in hoped of clearing her mind.

"Charles," she said softly in the air.

"What about him?"

Ororo turned around and saw the man who had in some way saved countless of lives. He was wearing a flannel shirt and jeans. He walked over and stood next to her.

"It's so hard you know. He was always there. Guess I took it for granted,"

"We all did,"

Ororo smiled. Logan looked back at her returning the gesture. He too sighed in hopes of getting rid of the tension that so often filled his body and mind. She placed a soft hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. She laughed. He let out a chuckle and snuck his arm around the African woman next to him. She laid her head on his shoulder.

"He would have been proud of you," she said softly.

"Who?"

"Charles. He would have been so proud,"

Logan planted a soft kiss on her forehead causing her head to move slightly so her eyes could meet his. He leaned in and kissed her cool lips. It may have lasted for a mere five seconds, but for the both of them….it was an eternity of bliss. The moment was disturbed by the sound of the bell. They both let out one final sigh before unwrapping themselves from each other and returning to their routine.

"Bobby! Shush, we are making too much noise," exclaimed the brunette. She was laughing as her loving boyfriend planted soft but gentle kisses on her neck. He kept on murmuring things about love. She giggled enjoying the sensation his kisses left on her skin.

"Marie, I love you,"

Marie looked into his blue eyes and smiled.

"I love you too,"

She was enveloped into a kiss in which none of them ever wanted to break free from. His arms wrapped around her waist as her arms duplicated the same thing on his shoulders. Just as soon as things began to heat up, the weather goddess walked in the room.

"That's enough for you two,"

They both blushed and broke the physical contact between them.

"Get to class," said Ororo pushing them out of the room so they can resume their academic studies. She smiled, she always wanted to see Ro-Marie happy and if taking the cure did that for her then who was she to judge. Just as that thought finished a scream blasted through the halls and into Ororo's ear drums. She ran to the source nearly knocking a few students over. When she arrived she saw a pale nineteen year old boy on the floor with horror painted over his face. She then saw Marie crying next to her boyfriend. Ororo walked over to the young girl and hopes to console her but no avail. Marie jumped at the presence of her teacher getting closer to her.

"Don't touch me!"

Before Ororo could assure comforting words to the young mutant she bolted. Ororo brought attention back to Bobby who was barely alive. His hand was over his chest as if he was grasping for life.

"Whoa, whoa. Marie slow down!" said Logan as the young frightened girl tried to maneuver her way around him. He had felt her tears grace his skin. Just as he was going to grab her shoulders to gain her attention she pushed him away.

"It's Rouge now! My powers…th-the-they"

She could barely face the reality. Reality was the fact her powers were back. She cried as her body slumped towards the floor. Logan kneeled down to level with her. He tried to hold her but she continued to push him away.

"I don't want to hurt y-you"

"You won't hurt me,"

He pulled her on top of his lap and she sat placing her head on the inner part of his shoulder making sure her skin never made contact with his. He ran his finger through her hair, carefully. She sobbed as he stroked her soft hair. They both began to come to grips with the new arrival of Marie's powers.

xxx

She didn't know where she was. Everything was so different and yet the same. She had left the place that held her captive. She had left everything that she knew behind as well. She was going to embark on a new journey, forgetting her past, her history. She was letting go of what made her Jean Grey. There was one thing she couldn't shake from her head. It was that room she had passed by when she had left. It was filled with bodies and if not bodies then objects. She knew the majority of the bodies were mutants. They had their marks plastered either on their face or neck. She shook her head again.

"Enough,"

It felt good to say it aloud. Whatever happened in that place was no longer a part of her. She was starting fresh, and was ready. Jean continued to walk down the narrow road. The sand was dry and the scorching sun left its imprint on her skin. She headed north in hopes of finding some place to rest and recover from exhaustion. She didn't notice the truck that pulled up next to her.

"Hey, there lassie. Where you headed?"

Jean didn't know what to make of the man. The fact that he had called her lassie meant that she was somewhere down south…but where?

"Where's the nearest town?"

The man motioned for Jean to enter his vehicle. She had opened the door and sat in the passenger seat. The man was approaching fifty and already had many amounts of gray hair all over his face and neck. He began to head back on the road. There was silence that had infiltrated the truck. Idiotically the driver insisted on breaking it.

"So, where you from?"

Jean's eyes left the window and came upon the man.

"California,"

"Oh nice sunny California! I always wanted to go there,"

The man continued to ramble about his past and his future. Jean began to lose all interest in the conversation. She highly doubt that the rough neck beside her was someone with any intelligence. She rested her head on window peering out towards the wide open range. Her eyes then rolled over to the key chain that was dangling from the roof of the car. She focused on it and it slowly began to shake. She then heard it.

"_Kill him….KILL HIM!"_

"No!" she had said out loud without realizing it.

"You alright there lassie?"

Her head shot back to the man.

"I'm fine"

The car pulled up to a gas station. The man proceeded to exit the vehicle and head towards the neighboring store. She looked around. Her surroundings were much better. She had felt at ease with herself and for the first time in a long time….she didn't hear the Phoenix. She smiled slightly. She was ready; she was ready to start over.

xxx

"How is he?" asked Logan. He had calmed down Marie and had carried her up to her bed.

"He'll be alright. Just a little tired,"

Logan nodded. He stared at the boy whose body looked almost lifeless. She then looked back to the blue furry man wrapped in a lab coat. He shook his head. Of all the things to happen it had happen to her. His Marie or better yet Rouge.

"I think the government should know about this,"

"Yeah,"

"If Rouge's powers returned, do you think Magnet-"

Logan silenced him with the signal of his hand.

"I don't even want to hear about that,"

Dr. Hank McCoy nodded. He understood the predicament. It would be a hard pill to swallow at the thought of repeating the events of Alcatraz. After all one of the X-Men is down, this would obviously be a bad time for an attack similar to Alcatraz.

She was crying softly, the pillow stained with her salty tears. Ororo had tried to come over and talk to her but Marie wanted none of it. She had done the worst thing. She had almost killed her boyfriend. All Marie could do is cry and ask why? She didn't know what to do. Who should she blame? Herself? The scientist who came up with this faulty cure? She shook her head. That was Warren's father, she couldn't do that. She wanted to leave here. She wanted to get away from all this, but this was all she's ever known. How could she leave? Not wanting to figure out the solution to her problem, she got up and grabbed her coat. She was leaving, just for awhile at least. She needed to go home for a bit and refuel herself, remind herself who Marie was and who is Rouge. She grabbed a duffle bag and stuffed all the necessities. She grabbed the bag and headed towards her bedroom door. She then glanced back at her room. She was really leaving all this. She closed the door and headed for the main doors. She walked in the empty hallways, Logan watched her from the side. He knew what she had to do, so he didn't intervene. He saw her exit the mansion.

"Be strong kid. Be strong,"

Logan thought out loud in hopes of justifying his actions on not stopping her. He just hopes it was for the best.


End file.
